Things are seeming to finally slow down in the world of Kentucky basketball after an unprecedented busy period from late March through June. That’s not to say, though, that this summer is going to be a boring one.

First of all, it will actually give everybody a chance to look forward to what is shaping up to be a fun football season. Look for the Pinkie to start stepping up its UK football coverage in the next few weeks as the season approaches. Second, just because basketball is out of season does not mean there’s nothing to write about and talk about. One topic that I will never tire of and that I don’t imagine UK fans will ever tire from is Coach John Calipari.

In some ways, it seems like John Calipari has been our coach for years and that Billy Gillispie as UK coach is nothing more than a distant memory. In other ways, though, the past 2 1/2 months have flown by and John Calipari’s introductory news conference seems like yesterday.

The reality is that John Calipari has barely had a chance to catch his breath since April Fools Day. He can’t afford to sit around and rest this summer because there’s more that he would like to do than he could ever begin to wrap his head around. So, like any busy person, John Calipari has to prioritize the important things. Without becoming a John Calipari stalker site, let’s take a look at what I imagine John Calipari will be looking to get done this summer:

Get situated in Lexington – To my knowledge, Calipari has yet to move his family into his recently purchased new house next to campus. Most of the time, when people relocate for work, the first thing they do is settle themselves in their new home…John Calipari has not had that luxury.

He now needs to complete the move, get comfortable in the house and in Lexington, and get his two youngest kids to that same comfort level. Calipari has made it clear how important his family is to him, so this is clearly an important task for him.

Another important part of that is to get his footing in the community. His involvement in the Memphis community was something that really mattered to him, so he will definitely be looking to duplicate that in Lexington.

Get to know his new team and conference – Per NCAA rules, Calipari has limited access to his team during the offseason, but he will be looking to do everything he can to familiarize himself with his new players. When he can’t spend time with his players, he will be doing things like reviewing game tape.

Heading into the first day of practice, Calipari will want to have an idea general team roles and team chemistry, so that will be a key.

Calipari will be looking to get up to speed in the SEC. I’m sure he’ll be watching more game tape on those teams to figure out what he’s up against and also trying to get his feet in how recruiting works in the SEC.

Recruit – Obviously, this is what we will all be following most closely this summer. I never really was much of a recruiting junkie, that is until John Calipari took over. How can you help but not follow recruiting when UK is the hottest name in the game?

UK has a bunch of scholarships to give out after this season, probably in the 5-7 range. At this point, UK has no 2010 commitments, so there is a bunch of work to do. I’m sure UK will have a TON of unofficial visitors this summer and will attend a bunch of AAU events, which Calipari will use to gauge interest and figure out which guys he wants to go after full steam. I would guess he wants to nail down a verbal or two before the school year starts, so keep an eye out for that.

Calipari will also be getting himself set for the class of 2011. There won’t be as many rides to go around for that class, but Calipari will be looking to land a couple program changers. You will begin to hear a lot of names as AAU play unfolds this summer, foremost among which will be Michael Gilchrist. Many think Gilchrist is already the best player in high school right now and that UK is the leader in the clubhouse due to his relationship with the infamous Worldwide Wes. Also remember names like LaQuinton Ross, Rakeem Christmas, and Wayne Blackshear and look for some bios on them here on the Pinkie in the coming months.

Michael Gilchrist, remember this kid

Maintain and build the UK brand – The UK brand was one of the biggest attractions of the job for Calipari. He now is leading a brand that gives him the platform he has always wanted.

If you’ve been keeping up with Coach Cal’s Twitter, you know that he’s been meeting with heavy hitters non-stop (and probably with the Heavy Hitter himself as well) and networking like crazy. He’s going to continue to do that all summer and will likely cultivate some high level corporate partnerships on top of those that UK already has. He’ll be making appearances all over the country and also working follow up from his trip to China.

Finalize the 2009 schedule and plan the season - John Calipari made it clear how deliberately he puts together his team’s schedules keeping mind RPI and Tournament resumes. He hasn’t finalized the schedule yet, so he will be looking to do that with some good opponents.

Also, Calipari will be planning with the Athletic Department the logistics behind Big Blue Madness. That event will serve as UK’s coming out party as a reestablished power on the national stage. I imagine we will see national TV coverage even if the event doesn’t take place at Commonwealth, likely ESPN, who will want to show off its new precious commodity.

I’d say all that should give us plenty to discuss!